Method and apparatus for opening, carding, and cleaning fibrous material



NOV. 15, 1938. BROWN 2,136,839

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CARDING, AND CLEANING FIBROUS MATERIALFiled Sept. 29, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l .l. 1 L M .9 f a 1 77.1% v

Nov. 15, 1938. R, L, BR WN 2,136,839

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CARDING, AND CLEANING FIBROUS MATERIALFi ed Sept. 29, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 15, 1938. R L BROWN 2,136,839

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CARDING, AND CLEANING FIBROUS MATERIALFiled Sept. 29, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 15, 1938 PATENTOFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING,

GARDING, AND! CLEANING FIBROUS MA- TERIAL Russell Lee Brown, Lowell,Mass, assignor to California. Process Company, Los Angeles C'alii., acorporation of Nevada Application September 29, 1936, Serial No. 103,164

17 Claims.

1 do and remove from the fibres, and to permit the removal of theforeign matters the contaminated fibrous material must be thoroughlyopened up and the fibres separated.

The principal object of my invention is to d enable the fibrous materialto be thoroughly opened. up and carded, and the dirt separated from thefibres at practically one operation by a novel apparatusby which suchfibrous material is subjected to the alternate action of carding .2d.means and. screening means in such manner that all portions of thefibrousmaterialare repeatedly alternately carded and screened during asingle passage of such material through the machine, and foreign mattersare separated from the fibres 25 during and simultaneously with thecarding, or

vice versa.

My apparatus includes preferably a rotary screening cylinder providedwith internal pins for the purpose of lifting the fibrous material fedinto the. cylinder and dropping such material onto carding rolls orcylinders mounted within the cylinder, and preferably extendinglongitudinally of the axis thereof. The carding rolls catch the. fibrousmaterial and the fibres are carded in passing from one roll to another,and are removed from. the last carding roll by a revolving brush; suchoperations being repeated upon the material as it progresses through themachine; and finally the cleaned and carded fibres are discharged.

In the accompanying drawings I have conventionally illustrated twoembodiments of the invention, and will describe the same with referencethereto, but the invention is not restricted to the particularconstructions shown, and I refer to the claims for summaries of theessential features of the invention and novel combinations andconstructions of parts for which protection is desired. I

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention, partlybroken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the machine on the line 3-3, Fig.I, viewed from discharge end.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the machine showing the drive at discharge end.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a modified con: struction taken on theline 5-5,. Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through such machine on the line B--6, Fig.5.

Fig. '7 is a detail horizontal sectional view on the line 1-1, Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 1-4; a rotary screening cylinder l of any suitableconstruction may be mounted for rotation in a supporting framing 8,being shown as mounted on supporting rollers lb attached to shafts l c,journaled on the framing. The cylinder may be kept in proper positionupon the supporting rollers lb by means of idler rollers lg mounted. ona shaft In which is journaled in spring tripped boxes Ii of any suitableconstructlon.

The cylinder I can be rotated at any desiredspeed by any suitablemeans.Cylinder I may be from ten to twelve feet in length and about five orsix feet in diameter; and is provided with internal pins la, which maybe four or five inches in length and. spaced. several inches apart. The--pins may be arranged in rows, or in spiral lines if desired.

Within the cylinder are arranged a set of carding rolls 2, 3 and 4,which are provided with carding cloth or teeth of any suitable kind. Thecarding roll 2 is arranged in about the horizontal plane of the axis ofthe screen, and is preferably set so as to clear the pins la on theinterior of the screen. The carding roll 3 is arranged parallel with andabove roll 2. The carding roll 4 is arranged parallel with and besideroll 2, and below roll 3. Roll 4 is preferably solocated that its teethintermesh with the teeth of both rolls 2 and 3 and will card the fibrestherefrom.

Also mounted within the cylinder beside roll 4 is a rotating brush orcleaning roll 5, which may be provided with blades or wire bristles,adapted to remove fibres from roll 4 and throw them back into thecylinder.

The several carding rolls and brush roll may be journaled in bearings onthe end members of the framing 8 in which the cylinder is mounted.

The diameter and length of the screening cylinder will depend somewhatupon the character of the material to be treated and the amount oftreatment required. The carding rolls may be of any suitable length anddiameter, and any desired number of carding rolls may be employed. Atpresent I preferably use three.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, a plate 6 is arrangedin the cylinder above the brush 5. Said plate is curved on an arc concentric to the axis of the cylinder, and extends from a point opposite theouter side of brush 5, and somewhat below the axis of the cylinder, to apoint adjacent the top of the cylinder and slightly beyond the verticalaxis thereof. Plate 6 extends practically the full length of thecylinder and may be supported on rods or bars 6b suitably mounted on theframing 8. The outer curved surface of plate 6 lies closely adjacent thepath of movement of the inner ends of pins Ia. Preferably the upper endof the plate has a downwardly curved portion Ba which extends toward andclosely adjacent to the inner side of carding roll 3.

When the machine (Figs. 1-4) is in operation, the cylinder is rotated ina clockwise direction (as viewed from discharge end) (Fig. 3) and thefibrous material in the cylinder will be lifted by pins Ia and carriedup to and moved over. the plate 6 and dropped at the upper end thereofonto the portion 6a and be directed thereby onto the carding roll 3.

The plate 6 may be provided with diagonal corrugations or vanes Go onits upper surface and facing the interior of the cylinder, so that asthe material is moved upward over the plate by the pins it will also beshifted axially of the cylinder by such vanes; and thus at eachrevolution of the cylinder the fibrous material as it moves over theplate will progress longitudinally of the cylinder toward the dischargeend thereof.

I preferably provide a shield 6e, Fig. 3, between the lower outer end ofthe plate 6 and the lower end of the portion 6a, to confine the materialmore closely to the action of, the brush and carding rolls.

The cylinder and rolls may be rotated at the proper relative speed byany suitable means. One means is indicated in Fig. 4, and as there shownan electric motor M is mounted on the framing, and one of the shafts Iccarrying rollers Ib has a sprocket Is driven by a chain It from asprocket I v on the shaft of the motor M. On the shaft of the motor isanother sprocket Ta which leads to and over a tension take-up sprocketIb, hung on spring hangers 10; from which it passes to and over asprocket 4s on the adjacent end of the shaft of roll 4, and thence overa sprocket 5s on the adjacent end of the shaft of the brush roll 5,thence up over a sprocket 3s on the adjacent end of the roll 3, thencedown over a sprocket 2s on the adjacent end of the roll 2, and thencereturns to sprocket Ia. By this arrangement the brush and each of thecarding rolls can be driven at the desired relative speeds and in thedesired direction. While such drive is eflicient I do not consider theinvention restricted thereto.

The fibrous material to be treated can be fed into one end of thescreening cylinder I through a feed chute 9 and may be delivered at theother end of the cylinder into a discharge spout 9b having an inner endadapted to receive the carded fibres swept off of the adjacent end ofcarding roll 4 by the rotating brush 5.

The screening cylinder I (Fig. 1) may be re volved in a clockwisedirection at a speed of approximately 5 to 50 R. P. M.,' depending uponthe stock to be treated. Roll 2 revolved in a counterclockwisedirection. Roll 3 revolved in a clockwise direction at a slightlygreater speed than roll 2. Roll 4 revolved in a counter-clockwisedirection at a higher speed than roll 3; and brush roll 5 revolved in aclockwise direction at a higher speed than roll 4.

As the screening cylinder I rotates the pins Ia will raise portions ofthe fibrous material onto plate 6 and move it thereover until thematerial drops from the plate onto the carding rolls. Most of thematerial would be deposited on rolls 3 and 2. The fibres caught by rolls2 and 3 will be carded off by roll 4, which is moving at a greater rateof speed; and the carded fibres are removed from roll 4 by the action ofthe more rapidly revolving brush 5, which throws the fibrous materialonto the lower side of the screening cylinder. In such operation thefibrous material is opened up and the dust and foreign matters areloosened from the fibres and have an opportunity to separate from thefibrous material and pass through the screen. During its passage axiallyof the screen cylinder the fibrous material is repeatedly subjected tothe separating and carding action of the rolls; and the separated dirtpasses out through the screen.

An advantage of the arrangement shown in Figs. 1-4 is that the fibresare brushed from roll 4 in such manner that they do not pass under thecarding rolls, so that any burrs or vegetable matter which drops out ofthe fibres while passing around the carding rolls will not drop backinto the fibrous material but will drop on a clean portion of the screenand have free opportunity of passing therethrough.

If desired the screen might be enclosed within a housing such as ID inthe modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6; and also a short-fibreseparating screen I6 might be used, as indicated in said figures.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5-7, the screen I is constructed andmounted as above described in a housing I 0. The fibrous material can befed into one end of the cylinder through a feed chute HM, and dischargedfrom the other end of the screen into a spout IN). The carding rolls 2,3, 4, and brush 5, are arranged within the cylinder, as in Fig. 1, butthe shield 6 is omitted.

Roll 2 is set so as to just clear the pins Ia on the screen cylinder;roll 3 is set so that it will card the fibres from roll 2;- and roll 4set so that it will card the fibres from both rolls 2 and 3. Brush 5will remove the carded fibres from roll 4 as described.

In this modification the rotating screen I (see Fig. 5) may be revolvedin a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed from discharge end) at aspeed of approximately 5 to 50 R. P. M., depending upon the stock to betreated; roll 2 revolved in a counter-clockwise direction at a speedsufficient to pick up and hold the stock raised by the pins Ia; roll 3revolved in a clockwise direction at a slightly greater speed than roll2; roll 4 revolved in a counter-clockwise direction at a higher speedthan roll 3; and brush roll 5 re volved at a higher speed than roll 4.

As the screen I (Fig. 5) rotates, pins Ia will lift the fibrous materialand part thereof will be taken by roll 2, from the pins as they passsuch roll, and some of the material will be dropped from the pins (asthey approach the vertical) onto the carding rolls; most of the materialbeing deposited on rolls 2 and 3. The fibres on rolls 2 and 3 will becarded off by roll 4; and the carded fibres are detached from roll 4 bythe more rapidly revolving brush roll 5. And the clean carded fibres maybe discharged from the cylinderby chute lllb onto a conveyor whichdelivers them ,toa suitable receiver, not shown.

The forward movement of the fibrous material in the cylinder maybeobtained by tilting the "entire screen and assembly of carding rolls, orby air currents, or by other suitable means provided for moving thestock forward. 7

"In cases where thematerialto be treated contains considerable dust,'itmay be desirable to provide thehousing lilwithan outlet I that can beconnectedwith a suction fan (not shown) a large amount of short fibresand large particles of foreign matter, itmay be desirable to provide thescreening cylinder with larger openings or below the screen.

mesh. Such largeropeningsmightpermit the passage of an undesirableamount of short or,

broken fibres, and to recover such short fibres a fiat shaking orvibrating screen i6 (Figs. and 6) may be mounted. under the rotatingscreen to collect the short fibres butpermit the dirt to pass through.The short fibres can be discharged from screen It onto a conveyor 11 bywhich they may be carried to any desired point of deposit The dirtpassing through screen IE will be caught on a bottom plate 15a anddirected thereby into a suitable receiver.

The degree of opening and carding effect of the rolls is regulable asdesired by varying the relative speeds and relative setting of therolls. Some separation of the dust and foreign matter from the fibreswill occur each time and at each point where one roll takes materialfrom another, and Where the fibres are thrown against the rotatingscreen.

The cylinder screen I may be of woven wire or of reticulated orperforated metal. The mesh of the wire or size of the perforations maybe varied as desired along the length of the screen, depending upon theparticular material to be treated. The screen surface of the cylindermay if desired be made in sections so mounted that they can be replaced,when worn, or replaced by screen sections of a different mesh or size orshape of openings.

The number of carding rolls, their size and location within thecylinder, their spacing with respect to one another, and the speed ofrotation of each may be varied; as may best suit the particular materialbeing treated. Also the shape of the pins, teeth, or clothing on therolls 2, 3, 4, may be varied in spacing and character to suit thematerial to be treated. The spacing of such teeth may also be Variedalong the length of each roll as desired so that the carding action maybe modified as the fibrous material advances along the length of thecylinder.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material;comp-rising a rotatable screen, and fibre carding means in the screenincluding rotating elements with different peripheral speeds and adaptedto repeatedly operate upon the fibres elevated by the screen.

2. Apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material;comprising a rotatable screen, and fibre carding rolls within the screenrotating at different peripheral speeds and adapted to repeatedlyoperate upon the fibres in their passage along the cylinder.

3. Apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material;comprising a rotatable screen, fibre carding rolls within the screenrotating at different peripheral speeds and adapted to operate upon thefibres in the screen, and means in the screen whereby the material isrepeatedly delivered to the carding rolls for operation thereon,

said carding rolls returning the material to the I. screen.

4. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; arotatable screen, and a lurality of carding rolls extendinglongitudinally of and within the screen and rotating at diiferentiperipheral speeds operate upon the fibres within peripheral speedsadapted to repeatedly operate upon the fibres within the screen.

5. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; arotatable screen, carding:

rolls rotating at different peripheral speeds and extendinglongitudinally of and within the screen and adapted to operate upon thefibres in the screen, and a rotary brush for removing the fibres fromthe carding rolls and throwing them. against the screen.

6. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; arotatable screen, a plurality of carding rolls extendinglongitudinallyof and within thescreen and adapted to operate.

upon the fibres in their passage along the screen, and a rotary brushfor removing the fibres from the carding rolls and throwing them againstthe interior of the screen.

'7. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material;rotatable screening means, carding means extending longitudinally of andwithin the screening means adapted to operate upon the fibres, a platefor directing material to the carding means and means for lifting thefibrous material onto and moving it over the plate to deliver it to thecarding means.

8. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material;rotatable screening means, carding means within and extendinglongitudinally of the screening means andadapted to operate upon thefibres; a plate for directing material to the carding means said platebeing provided with means whereby the material is shifted longitudinallyof the screening means as it is moved over the plate, and means forlifting the material onto and moving it over the plate to deliver it tothe carding means.

9. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; arotatable cylinder, carding rolls within and extending longitudinally ofthe cylinder adapted to operate upon the fibres therein, a plate fordirecting material to the carding rolls, and means in the cylinder forlifting the material onto and moving it over the plate to deliver it tothe carding rolls.

10. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; arotatable cylinder, carding rolls within and extending longitudinally ofthe cylinder adapted to operate upon the fibres therein, a plate fordirecting material to the carding rolls, said plate being provided withmeans whereby the material is shifted longitudinally of the cylinder asit is moved over the plate, and means in the cylinder for lifting thematerial onto and moving it over the plate to deliver it to the cardingrolls.

11. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; arotatable screening cylinder, carding rolls extending longitudinally ofand within the cylinder adapted to operate upon the fibres therein, aplate in the cylinder for directing material to the carding rolls, andmeans in the cylinder for lifting the material onto and moving it overthe plate to deliver it to the carding rolls, and means for removingfibres from the carding roll and returning them onto the screen.

12. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; arotatable screening cylinder, carding rolls extending longitudinally ofand within the cylinder adapted to operate upon the fibres therein, aplate in the cylinder for directing material to the carding rolls, saidplate being provided with means whereby the material is shiftedlongitudinally oi the cylinder as it is moved over the plate, means inthe cylinder for lifting the material onto and moving it over the plateto deliver it to the carding rolls, and means for removing fibres fromthe carding roll and returning them onto the screen.

13. Apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material;comprising a screen and fibre carding means within the screen includingrotating elements with different peripheral speeds and adapted torepeatedly operate upon the fibres, a housing enclosing the screen, andmeans for creating suction in the housing to remove light impuritiesseparated from the fibres.

14. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; arotatable screen, a plurality of carding rolls rotating at differentperipheral speeds and extending longitudinally of and within the screenand adapted to operate upon the fibres within the screen, a housingenclosing the screen, and means for creating a suction in the housing toremove light impurities separated from the fibres.

15. Apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material;comprising a rotatable screen, fibre carding rolls within the screenrotating at different peripheral speeds and adapted to operate upon thefibres in the screen, means in the screen whereby the material isrepeatedly delivered to the carding rolls for operation thereon, thematerial being delivered from said carding rolls to the screen.

16. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; arotatable screen, carding rolls rotating at different peripheral speedsextending longitudinally of and within the screen, means for removingfibres from the carding rolls and throwing them against the screen, andmeans whereby the material in the screen is repeatedly delivered to thecarding rolls.

17. In apparatus of the character specified; a rotatable screen, aplurality of carding rolls extending longitudinally of and within thescreen and adapted to operate upon the material in its passage throughthe screen, abrush for removing the fibres from the carding rolls andthrowing them against the interior of the screen.

RUSSELL LEE BROWN.

